they saved my life and the life of four others who were at that meeting. gregg: another fox news alert. this new development in the fight over the fiscal crisis as lawmakers head home for the holidays. there are reports president obama is scaling back his hope for a sweeping budget bargain with republicans. welcome to a brand new hour of "america live". i'm gregg jarrett. heather: i'm heather childers. we're in for megyn kelly. the president reportedly looking to strike a smaller deal that would extend tax cuts for the middle class without tackling spending cuts as reports surfaced that the president hasn't spoken with speaker boehner since he expressed his frustration at a news conference on friday. take a listen. >> we passed a bill to stop all the tax hikes on the american people scheduled to take effect january the 1st and we did that on august the 1st. and we proposed plans over and over again that democrats used to support but now they won't. heather: chief white house correspondent ed henry is live for us in honolulu. that is where the president isi